“People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because courageous people stand ready to face violence on their behalf.” – George Orwell*

I am one of those who sleeps peaceably and I never want to take it for granted.

I took a bit of liberty with the quote above, as the original was written in a day when only men stepped into this honorable calling; that of a community protector.  Whether it be as a firefighter, police or security officer, or a brave, selfless citizen, those who face danger in order to protect others belong in a noble class of their own.  They deserve our honor, respect and thanks.

If elected to Des Moines City Council, I will always work earnestly not only to support these community servants, but to preserve the strength of these organizations.

In addition, I believe that a truly safe community not only fights crime, but works to eliminate crime through:

• providing support, education and transitional services to those wanting to come out of compromised lifestyles,
• resisting co-dependent organizational behavior such as the institution of “safe” injection sites,
• working to transform neighborhoods through attention to the environment, clean up efforts, lighting, and road and sidewalk improvement, and
• collaboration with property owners and landlords to attend to abandoned property and reduce aggressive/transient residents.

I also believe that the most effective way to promote these projects is through engaging, supporting and networking with our sister cities and with our non-profits in order to create a cohesive and synergistic approach to our challenged communities.

*Original text by George Orwell: “People sleep peaceable in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.”